How long it takes: 35 minutes Equipment you’ll need: large bowl Servings: 12 (1 cup each)
About This Pasta Salad Recipe
Flavorful. This creamy chicken macaroni salad is so fresh and satisfying. The dressing uses basic pantry ingredients like sweet relish, vinegar, and mustard, and packs loads of flavor. Quick to make. It’s easy to whisk up the dressing with basic pantry ingredients like sweet relish, vinegar, and mustard, and it packs loads of flavor. Add it to the salad, and toss. After a short chilling time in the fridge, this macaroni salad is ready to serve. Adaptable. Change up your chicken macaroni salad with any add-ins you’d like. This recipe is a great way to use up leftover veggies in the crisper drawer. I often use pre-cooked rotisserie chicken to make things even easier. Versatile. Take this macaroni salad along to cookouts, potlucks, or any occasion this summer. It’s almost always the first bowl that’s empty on the table!
Ingredient Notes
These are my notes on the ingredients you’ll need to make this easy cold chicken and pasta salad. Scroll to the recipe card for a printable ingredients list with amounts.
Pasta – Elbow macaroni is the classic choice. And while it technically won’t be macaroni salad, you can make this recipe with any pasta shape you’d like. Other good options are cavatappi, small shells, rotini, and bowtie pasta. We also love mini bowtie pasta for pasta salad. Greek Yogurt and Mayo – My trick to lightening up macaroni salad is to use half mayonnaise and half plain Greek yogurt. Feel free to use all of one or the other if you prefer. Pickle Relish – I like sweet pickle relish in this salad but dill pickle relish also works. Mustard – You can use yellow mustard or Dijon mustard. If you use Dijon, reduce the salt in the recipe slightly and add to taste. Vinegar – For a touch of acidity, add plain white vinegar. Other types of vinegar can be substituted, such as rice vinegar or white wine vinegar but keep in mind that the flavor of the dressing will be affected. Seasonings – I use a simple mixture of garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. I also like to use this homemade all-purpose seasoning. Chicken – The salad features cooked diced or shredded chicken. Leftover rotisserie chicken works well, or you can make this pasta salad with budget-friendly canned chicken, too. Poached chicken is easy to make and keeps well in the freezer for salads and main dish meals. Veggies – I keep the macaroni salad traditional with chopped celery, bell pepper (any color), and red onion. I also like to add frozen peas. Feel free to change it up with your favorite add-ins (see below for more ideas).
How To Make Chicken Macaroni Salad
This chicken macaroni salad is super easy. Once your pasta is cooked, the salad comes together in minutes! Below is a short step-by-step. Scroll down to the recipe card for printable recipe instructions. Cook the macaroni. Start by boiling the macaroni noodles, and then drain and rinse them under cold water. Make the dressing. Take out the bowl you’ll use to make your salad and whisk together the dressing ingredients. Combine. To the dressing, add the cooked macaroni, chicken, diced vegetables, and frozen peas. Give the ingredients a toss to coat, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill. Finally, cover and refrigerate the macaroni salad for an hour, and then serve!
Tips For Success
These are my top tips for the best chicken macaroni salad:
Season the pasta water. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of table salt to the water you use to boil your pasta. This is an easy trick for more flavorful pasta whether you’re making a warm recipe, like tomato pasta, or a cold macaroni salad. Rinse the pasta. Cook the pasta al dente and rinse it well under cold water before you combine it with the other ingredients. Rinsing the pasta stops the hot pasta from cooking further and it also removes sticky starch that may be clinging to the pasta. It also cools the pasta before you mix it into the salad. Chill for an hour. Try not to skimp on chilling time; I chill the salad for at least an hour. Chilling the finished macaroni salad lets the flavors mingle and makes it extra refreshing. Defrost peas quickly. You can thaw frozen peas quickly for this salad by placing them in a strainer under warm water for a minute or two.
Recipe Variations
It’s easy to change up the ingredients in this macaroni salad depending on what your family likes and what you have on hand. Try these ideas:
Different seasonings. Feel free to swap out the spices in this recipe with your favorite seasoning blend instead, like homemade Italian seasoning. A Cajun chicken salad spiced up with Cajun seasoning is also delicious. Vegetarian. To make this a vegetarian macaroni salad, omit the chicken. Add hard-boiled eggs. Chop up hard-boiled eggs to add to the salad to make it extra filling. Cheese. Dice cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack, or Pepper Jack cheese and add to the salad. Make tuna macaroni salad. For another easy variation, substitute drained canned tuna for the shredded chicken. Sweeten it up. If you love a bit more sweetness in your pasta salad, add in raisins or pineapple tidbits.
What To Serve With Chicken Macaroni Salad
In the summertime, I love serving homemade chicken macaroni salad with hamburgers and hot dogs, and a side of corn on the cob. Another tasty option is BBQ chicken and cornbread muffins. Take this macaroni salad along to a cookout or potluck along with side dishes like calico beans, Mediterranean green bean salad or fruit kebabs. It’s also a great light lunch on its own, ticking all the boxes between the chicken, vegetables, and pasta!
Make-Ahead Tip
Get a head start: Cook the chicken if you don’t happen to have some ready to go. The macaroni can be cooked ahead of time; drain well and store it in a resealable bag or covered bowl. The veggies can be prepped ahead of time and so can the dressing. Store the components of the salad separately in the fridge for up to 3 days. If you’re making this chicken macaroni salad well ahead of time, consider leaving out ¼ to ½ cup of the mayonnaise (or Greek yogurt) to stir in just before serving. This makes the final salad much creamier.
How To Store Macaroni Salad
Refrigerate. This chicken macaroni salad will last for 4 to 5 days in the fridge. Store any leftovers in an airtight container. Freeze. Due to ingredients like pasta, fresh veggies, mayo, and yogurt, I don’t recommend freezing leftover macaroni salad. The texture won’t be the same once it’s thawed.
Interested in a weekly meal plan that includes this recipe? Take a look at Meal Plan #72. You’ll find a wholesome recipe for each weekday plus a categorized grocery list. We add a new meal plan weekly. Quick-Start Guide!
